Photo Credit : ABC FAMILY
There is a formula to the success of ABC Family, though it really isn’t a secret. Over the last few years, the cable outlet has managed to develop some of the best programming on cable for kids, with an added benefit of being genuinely entertaining shows for adults too.
By : SHAWNA BENSON
There is a formula to the success of ABC Family, though it really isn’t a secret. Over the last few years, the cable outlet has managed to develop some of the best programming on cable for kids, with an added benefit of being genuinely entertaining shows for adults too. “Kyle XY” the story about a mysterious teenage boy set the standard for the formula – exploring the world of teenagers and the process of growing up as they also come to terms with some supernatural ability or unusual past. “The Nine Lives of Chloe King,” based on a the popular young adult novels, does a fine job of following this formula, and keeping the story engaging enough for non-teens to enjoy.
Photo Credit : ABC FAMILY
Chloe is a seemingly average girl, living in San Francisco, going to high school, and working in a vintage clothing shop after school. On her sixteenth birthday, Chloe notices she’s suddenly got some interesting abilities – superior strength and agility, claws that retract, and the ability to land on her feet. Chloe discovers she is part of ancient race called the Mai, descendants of Bastet, a powerful cat goddess. Not only is Chloe part of the ancient race, but she may in fact be the “Uniter,” the prophesized leader of the Mai, but she has to come to terms with her newfound abilities first. Complicating matters for her, she’s being pursued by a dangerous assassin, part of a group of ancient rivals who have hunted the Mai for millennia, in an effort to wipe out all of the descendents of the race.
Chloe soon finds support not only from her best friends Amy and Paul, but from two other kids at her school – Jasmine and Alek, who reveal themselves to also be Mai and are determined to help protect Chloe from harm. So far it sounds like Chloe’s life has changed for the better; but like most superpowers, there’s a downside, and for her, it is that apparently humans and Mai don’t mix romantically. She learns this pretty quickly, and it becomes a source of stress for her as she meets and is instantly attracted to Brian, a new kid in town who seems to have some skeletons in his closet as well.
Chloe doesn’t really have any insight into her family history, because she was adopted from a Ukrainian orphanage as a baby. Her adoptive father left Chloe and her mother for reasons which are still unclear, but he seems to come back into her life via an email, in which he warns her, X-Files style, not to trust anyone.
How the two Mai, Jasmine and Alek know about Chloe’s past is also a mystery, but we’re to assume they’ve known for quite some time, even if Chloe herself hasn’t known. There are a lot of unanswered questions in the premiere, some of them intriguing and opening the door to mysteries that should unravel throughout the series. Other times, the questions are glossed over, as if to tell the viewer “don’t worry about that right now. Just enjoy the show.” Fortunately for them, the young actors, all attractive and energetic and bright are a joy to watch, allowing for the audience to go right along with that directive. The first two episodes are engaging and sustain a great deal of energy, enough to warrant further sampling of “The Nine Lives of Chloe King.”
“The Nine Lives of Chloe King” premieres Tuesday June 14th on ABC Family at 9 PM Eastern/Pacific.
